


good old-fashioned lover boy

by caesarjoestar



Series: that's because i'm a good old-fashioned lover boy [1]
Category: The War at Home
Genre: Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, M/M, i havent actually watched the show just the super cut of all kenny scenes lol, some mentions of kennys parents disowning him but thats like the only sad part, this fandom SORELY needs some kenny/dylan content and ill be the one to make it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-27 22:19:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16711093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesarjoestar/pseuds/caesarjoestar
Summary: “But- can I get your number? I really enjoyed talking to you,” Dylan confessed somewhat shyly.Kenny’s heart fluttered in his chest, waves and waves of euphoria rolled over his body, his body vibrated with excitement. “Of course you can!” He all but shouted excitedly. He rattled off his phone number at record-breaking speed, said an awkward goodbye to Dylan and started off his relatively short walk back home with a huge grin on his face the entire time.- - -Or: How Kenny and Dylan met and how their relationship proceeds.





	1. hey boy

**Author's Note:**

> title and chapter title from good old-fashioned lover boy by queen bc rami just played freddie mercury and fuck me it was a fantastic movie (well done rami!)

The school had put on a production of A Streetcar Named Desire and although Kenny wasn’t a theatre kid, he found himself enthralled with it.

  
  
The first time he went with Larry and his family and then the next days after that he went by himself. He told them he was going but none of them wanted to come with him again, just gave him painful smiles and told him to have fun. So, Kenny found himself alone at the back of the school hall. It didn’t really matter though, it still felt as amazing at it had the night he saw it with the Gold family (although part of him wishes it had been his own parents instead.)

  
  
At the end of the play he saw a couple of girls go backstage to congratulate their friends on their performances, it hadn’t even occurred to him that you could go backstage if you weren’t one of the actors or a stagehand. And so, without even thinking he found himself crossing the hall and up the steps into the backstage. It wasn’t his first time there, but it looked so different with so many people running around it was almost like another world. He wandered around for a little while, not really knowing what he was doing when an unfamiliar voice called out to him.

  
“Kenny?” Someone behind him had said, he turned on his heel to see who it was and he was met with the face of Dylan Whitehead. He hadn’t really talked to the other boy before (except for the couple times he had lent him a pen), but they had English class together so he recognised him immediately.

  
  
“Uh- hi Dylan!” Kenny said happily, waving his arms in excited motions.

  
  
Dylan smiled kindly at him, “What are doing here? Do you know someone in the play?”

  
  
 _No, he really didn’t._ Honestly, Kenny wasn’t that much better at making friends then Larry was so he didn’t have friends outside of Larry and his family. “I’m just- I’m just looking around, I’m thinking about auditioning next time,” He lied, he had no acting skill and he knew that.

  
  
“Oh cool, so you like acting?”

  
  
“Well not acting I thinking more like being a stagehand, but I really like musicals,” He explained nervously.

  
  
“ _Oh,_ ” Dylan said, a little confused, “Well, I’m sure you’ll be able to help next time.”

  
  
“Yeah!”

  
  
Dylan smiled at him again and it was at that moment that Kenny realised just how cute Dylan was. It wasn’t like he didn’t know before, but he had always been so wrapped up in Larry that he didn’t notice properly. Ever since he came out he had started to accept himself as himself and part of that was accepting that Larry was straight. It was never going to happen, he knew that and now he was trying to get over him. And it was working, because somehow when he looked up at Dylan’s face all thoughts of Larry went out of his head.

  
  
“You said you like musicals,” Dylan asked, “So which ones do you like?” He said as he moved to sit down on an empty chair, Lenny followed and sat down next to him. The two boys talked about musicals for so long that they ended up getting thrown out by a teacher. As they walked towards the school gate Dylan’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

  
Once he had read the text he looked back up to Kenny, “My parents are asking me where I am so I gotta’ get home now.”

  
Kenny nodded somewhat sadly at him.

  
  
“But- can I get your number? I really enjoyed talking to you,” Dylan confessed somewhat shyly.

  
Kenny’s heart fluttered in his chest, waves and waves of euphoria rolled over his body, his body vibrated with excitement. “Of course you can!” He all but shouted excitedly. He rattled off his phone number at record-breaking speed, said an awkward goodbye to Dylan and started off his relatively short walk back home with a huge grin on his face the entire time.

  
He entered the house to find the whole family crowded around the TV watching some show he didn’t know.

  
“What are you so happy about?” Vicky questioned.

  
“I got a boys number!” Kenny exclaimed animatedly as he took his seat on the sofa next to Larry and then happily answered the onslaught of questions thrown his way.  
  


* * *

  
That night as Kenny laid in bed next to the frankly awful sounding heater, he texted Dylan back and forth for hours about anything and everything. He _really_ liked Dylan. That night he dreamt about holding hands with some faceless boy in a field of flowers.  
  
  



	2. valentino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what happens on kenny and dylans first date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title once again from good old-fashioned lover boy by queen

Over the next few days the toys boys texted each other constantly and talked as much as they could at school. It was fair to say that by this point that Kenny was completely smitten. His every waking moment was filled with thoughts of Dylan. How soft his hair would feel underneath his fingers, the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs (and how good it feels to be the one who makes him laugh), how their hands would look entwined together.

  
Kenny really wasn’t sure how to flirt or how to tell if a guy was hitting on him but he was fairly certain that Dylan was (although he couldn’t tell how much of it was wishful thinking). So when after a week or so after the two had become friends when Dylan had asked him out on a date he wasn’t particularly surprised, although he was completely over the moon!

  
He had excitedly agreed to the date with Dylan that night and ran home with a spring in his step.   
  


* * *

  
He spent the next few hours before Dylan would be coming to pick him getting ready for the date, and by ‘getting ready’ he meant worrying over every last detail of his outfit and appearance. Is this shirt too tacky? Are these jeans too cheap? Does my hair look okay? Is my sweater too tight, _is it not tight enough?_ The questions flew around in his mind until Dylan rang the doorbell, Hillary gave him some words of encouragement and practically threw him out the door and he was met face to face with the boy in question. Dylan looked great. Better than great actually. He looked incredible. I mean Dylan always looks incredible but today there was something that made him look all the bit even better. He still had his well-styled, iconic windswept hair and was wearing a black t-shirt with a blue and white varsity jacket and tight black jeans. 

  
Kenny couldn’t even find words because _fuck,_ did Dylan look amazing.

  
“Kenny?” 

  
“Huh- what?” He asked, confused as Dylan pulled him out of his own mind.

  
“You okay? You haven’t said anything.”

  
Kenny shook his head like he couldn’t shake away all the thoughts of just how _good_ that jacket made Dylan’s arms look, “Yeah, I’m great. I’m amazing actually!”

  
Dylan just gave him a loving smile, “Come on, we gotta’ get to the cinema or it’s gonna’ start soon,” He said, nodding his head in the direction the cinema.

  
“Right,” Kenny said, grinning from ear to ear as the boys made their way to the cinema.  
  


* * *

  
Usually, Kenny didn’t really like action movies, (he would of much rather watched the new Harry Potter movie or Hairspray) but Dylan had seemed really excited about Hot Fuzz so he went along with it for the other boy. The whole walk to the cinema Dylan went on about the director's other films, it seemed like Dylan was really into this guys movies and honestly Kenny didn’t really care what came out of Dylan’s mouth so long as he could hear his voice forever. Well, not that he _‘didn’t care’._ He did. Very much so in fact. He loved that Dylan could unabashedly talk about all his interests and hobbies without feeling embarrassed. Kenny found that he loved to talk about his own interests a lot too. So much so that his parents often scolded him for it, so instead he usually kept it to himself. He really felt like he could be himself with Dylan.

  
Once they got to the cinema, Dylan treated the two of them to a large bucket of popcorn and cokes for the both of them.

  
They found their seats and found themselves to be among some of the first people there. The trailers began playing and boys spoke to each other hushed whispers and giggles hidden in the palms of their hands. After a short while, the movie began to play and the two boys moved back so they were now facing the screen instead. Kenny couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed to not be able to talk to the other boy, but as the montage of Simon Pegg’s character looking depressed holding a peace lily started, Kenny felt something warm and soft intwine itself with his hand that was rest on the armrest. Looking down he found that Dylan was now holding his hand. In his own hand. _A real-life boy is holding my own real-life hand in his hand,_ he thought. Looking over to said other boy he saw that while Dylan was staring intently at the screen, a soft smile played at his lips (and if it hadn’t been so dark he would have seen him blushing too). Kenny melted instantly, sliding down into his seat and covering his face with his free hand, unable to focus on the film on screen, his mind completely filled with the thought that for the first time a boy was holding his hand!  
  


* * *

  
Amazingly, Kenny did manage to end up focusing on the movie and thought that he really enjoyed it (and could now see why Dylan had been ranting and raving about this director.)

  
The two boys left the movie theatre hand-in-sweaty-hand, not caring about what anyone else thought. They got strange looks from some people and downright disgust from other but neither of them focused on them. Just on the freedom they now felt, it felt better than anything they had ever felt before to live their truths with no shame in public.

  
They then decided to go to a small diner across the street from the cinema, popcorn was hardly a proper meal. They sat opposite each other at a booth and while Kenny was sad to not be able to hold the other boy's hand anymore he was also excited to be able to talk to him more now.

  
Dylan immediately flew into a conversation about how much he loved the movie they had just watched and how it was now his new favourite Edgar Wright film. Although Kenny didn’t really know much about Wright he found himself agreeing with everything the other boy said and adding his own little comments too (which Dylan seemed to really enjoy because his face lit up in just the cutest way.) Kenny hadn’t realised it before but everything just felt so natural for him around Dylan, he could fully be himself and Dylan wouldn't judge him! Dylan actually enjoyed how nerdy he was, _he even thought it was cute._ He couldn’t really say that about anyone else.

  
“Hey, so I noticed you live with Larry, are you guys related or something?” Dylan asked, changing the topic of the conversation from who was the best Star Wars character to something a little more serious. Kenny could see from the look on the other boys face that this had been something that Dylan had been thinking about the whole night and well, Kenny did say he was going to be completely honest from now on.

  
“The Gold’s took me in after my parents kicked me out after I came out to them,” Kenny said very matter of factly. He smiled all the way through, trying to make it seem like less of a big deal then what it really was but Dylan could see through that facade, could see that it was something that was bothering Kenny a lot.

  
Dylan gaped at him, “Jesus Christ, Kenny that’s awful,” He told the other boy sincerely.

  
“It’s okay- well, _it’s not okay-_ ” Kenny said shaking his head again, “It’s just that I know they’ll take me back soon and everything will go back to normal again.”

  
“Right,” Dylan said with a sympathetic nod, putting an end to the conversation. Not that it wasn’t an important conversation because it was, it was just a little too heavy for a first date.

  
Immediately they went back to their conversation about Star Wars and all the other nerdy things they like, falling back into their comfortable ways.  
  


* * *

  
Dylan had decided to walk Kenny home after their date but unfortunately, the temperature had dropped dramatically. What had been a comfortable evening had now become a frozen tundra of a night. Kenny cursed himself for not bring a jacket or a coat but he had really wanted to show off his cute new sweater off to Dylan, so really, it was Dylan’s fault he was so cold because he was too damned cute for his own good. The only warmth Kenny was getting was from their joined hands and really it was nearly enough to warm him up. 

  
A chill ran through his body and he shivered dramatically, his teeth chattering as he wrapped his free arm around himself.

  
“Cold?” Dylan question, already knowing the answer.

  
“Just a little bit,” Kenny answered, wanting to play it off as much as he could but it was obvious that the poor boy was freezing.

  
Dylan let go of Kenny’s hand and took off his jacket, “Here,” He said and he draped it around Kenny’s shoulders.

  
“But you’ll get cold instead!” Kenny exclaimed.

  
Dylan shrugged his shoulders, “Doesn’t matter, I’ll just get it back when we get to yours.”

  
Nodding bashfully and trying to hide his embarrassed smile Kenny took the other boys hand again and continued on with their walk back to the Gold’s house.  
  


* * *

  
Once they reached outside the house Dylan stopped Kenny, holding both the boy's hands.

  
“I had a really great time today,” He started, “You wanna’ do this again?” He posed the question like it wasn’t something that would positively make Kenny’s heart explode, but it did.

  
“Yeah! Yes- yeah, yes, of course,” He exclaimed excitedly, grinning up at the other boy.

  
Dylan let himself mirror the other boys face, a huge grin breaking out on across his lips. “Great! So how about 5pm on Saturday, meet you here?”

  
“Sounds good- oh wait, no one else is going to be here on Saturday. Do you want to have our date here?”

  
Dylan nodded enthusiastically at the other boy, “Sure! Sounds great, I can’t wait.”

  
“Me too,” Kenny added, a little bashful.

  
Dylan then gave him that smile that always seemed to melt Kenny’s poor heart, moving his right hand out of Kenny’s grip and gently placing it on his cheek. He cupped the boy's cheek in his hand, staring into Kenny’s amazingly beautiful eyes and then lent forward just a little to graze their lips together in a short chaste kiss.

  
No words could describe the way Kenny felt in that moment. It was like his whole life had been leading up to it. His first real kiss. Sure, Hillary had kissed him once but he hadn’t wanted it, so he didn’t count it as his first kiss. But this, now this was what he had always imagined his first real kiss to be like. A cute boy holding him gently and kissing him softly while the rest of the world melted away around them. He was sure he had died and gone to heaven.

  
“Kenny?”

  
“Hmm?” He hummed in response.

  
“You can open your eyes again,” Dylan chuckled.

  
 _Oh._ He hadn’t even realised he still had his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again he found himself staring silently into Dylan’s forest green eyes. This time, however, Kenny was the one to let go of Dylan’s hand.

  
He shuffled out of his and pasted it back to Dylan, “Here.”

  
Dylan smiled back at him as he put the jacket back on, “Thanks.”

  
Kenny just nodded, not knowing what to do now. Dylan rolled back on his heels, looking up at the sky and then back at Kenny. 

  
“I should probably be going now, it’s getting kinda’ late,” He smiled awkwardly at Kenny.

  
“ _Oh, right!_ Of course, I’ll- I’ll see you tomorrow at school then.”

  
Nodding at the other boy he said, “Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow. Night, Kenny.”

  
“Goodnight, Dylan.” He said with a wave as Dylan walked down the street and once he could no longer see him anymore.  
  


* * *

  
“I had the best night tonight with Dylan,” He exclaimed to the whole Gold family as he entered the house, “He spells his name with a y, _why?_ Because he’s cute!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya boi back at it again with the rare pair fic B^))
> 
> my dudes as cute as holding hands during a movie is ive done it on dates before and let me tell you ur hand cramps like hell after a while lmao
> 
> i got one more chapter for this fic planned, which will be filling in the gaps in the school dance story line since it kinda went no where??? anyway ya boi jacob be writing that shit next. i also have a few ideas for some drabbles but idk if i will end up writing them but u never know


	3. let me feel your heartbeat (grow faster, faster)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again the chapter title is from good old-fashioned lover boy by queen

After the boy's third date, Dylan finally asked Kenny to be his boyfriend (to which Kenny agreed to in a heartbeat.) Their relationship had been going really well, amazing well even. Kenny had never been in a relationship before but this was all he could’ve ever hoped and wished for. So, when they heard that the school was putting on a school dance Dylan immediately asked Kenny to be his date and the two boys were so excited to be going to the dance together for the first time since they came out.

  
Unfortunately, the principal heard about them. They were both called out of their lessons and taken to the principal’s office where he told them they couldn’t go together because ‘no girls had asked them yet’. _What actual bullshit!_ The two boys were incredibly pissed off at this, why should everyone else get to go with who they want and have a good time while they were either basically forced to go back in the closet or not be allowed to go. They weren’t going to take this blatant homophobia.

  
Then, of course, Dave Gold had managed to fuck it all up while trying to help them and the principal called Child Services on Kenny. He didn’t want to live at a group home like they were saying he’d have to. He just wanted to go home. He wanted his parents to love him again. He was sure that given time they would and for that time that it took it would fine to live with the Gold’s. It was actually pretty fun to be on big, long, extended sleepover with his best friend. But of course, the principal (and bane of his existence) had to go and fuck that up too.

  
Not all was lost though because somehow Dave had managed to convince his parents to take him back. Even tried to force them to apologise too, which was sweet and touched his heart but he knew his parents and something like that could make them disown Kenny again so left with his parents before they even had the chance to get rid of him again. He just wanted to be home again.

  
It was awkward, unbearably so, but it was home. So what if his father couldn’t look him in the eye let alone talk to him? So what if his mother cry alone at night when she thought everyone else in the house was asleep, praying for his son’s soul? He was home and they say home is where the heart is. _So why did he feel so empty?_

  
During all of this, he understandingly forgot all about the school dance that had been so important before all of this happened. He had kept Dylan updated about all of it but they hadn’t really had any time for dates or protesting the school like they had been so set on doing before. Dylan understood completely and supported his boyfriend as much as he needed but soon it was the day before the dance and they still hadn’t been allowed to go to the dance. On his boyfriend's behalf Dylan had gone to the principal and practically begged the man to let them go, but the bigoted old man was stuck in his ways and wouldn’t let the boys go.

  
As absolutely outrageous it was to not let them go, Dylan had an idea.  
  


* * *

  
The day of the dance Kenny had been moping at home, watching some old movie his parents liked in an incredibly uncomfortable silence when he felt his phone vibrate in his pant pocket.

  
 **Dylan: _can u come to mine? ik we cant go to the dance so lets do something just us instead_**

  
Doing literally anything else but being around his parents right now sound better, so he immediately texted his boyfriend back.

  
**Kenny: _Of course! Let me just get ready and I’ll be at yours in 10 minutes <3_**

  
He stood from his seat on the sofa where he had been slumped so fast it almost gave him whiplash. Both his parents turned to stare at him and Kenny was sure their stares could pierce his soul.

  
“It’s- It’s _uh-_ It’s the school dance today! And I’m going with my friends so I have to go get ready now.” He rattled off to his parents so fast it was almost hard to understand what he was saying.

  
His mother nodded at him whilst his father just turned back to the TV without acknowledging his son. Ouch. But Kenny was used to it so he raced up to his room, putting on his nicest clothes and practically bolting it out the front door when he was ready.  
  


* * *

  
Sure Dylan had been to the Gold’s house many times but Kenny had never been to Dylan’s house before. He stood on the doorstep just staring, unmoving at the bright red door in front of him. Dylan hadn’t told him if he was home alone or if the rest of family was there, and if his family was there he really wanted to make a good impression.

  
He was so lost in his little world he hardly even noticed when the door opened right in front of him.

  
“Um, Kenny, you okay?” Dylan questioned, confused and slightly worried.

  
Snapping out of it Kenny replied, “Huh? Oh, ye-yeah I’m fine!”

  
“Right,” He said not quite believing his boyfriend, “I looked out the window and I saw you just standing there staring at the door.”

  
Kenny laughed uncomfortably, “Yeah, I just didn’t- didn’t know- know if you, uh-”

  
“It’s okay,” Dylan cut off his boyfriend mercifully and moved to motion him into the house. Kenny took a few shaky steps into the house, unsure if he’d be welcome there by the Dylan family.

  
“My sister is at the dance and my parents are on a date tonight, so it’s just you and me,” Dylan smiled at his boyfriend and lead him into the front room. The first Lord of the Rings movie was booted up on the TV with a large bowl of popcorn sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

  
“And we could order a pizza too if you’re hungry,” Dylan added.

  
Kenny smiled gratefully up at his boyfriend, he kissed him on the cheek and said, “Thank you, and yeah a pizza would be great.”

  
For a second Dylan just smiled lovingly down at his boyfriend before calling the pizza place and getting drinks for the both of them. 

  
Kenny settled down on the sofa and Dylan snuggled up to the other boy, putting his arms around him and started the movie. This was going to be a good night.  
  


* * *

  
Just as The Fellowship was being ambushed by the Ringwraiths the pizza man arrives and the two boys dig into the pizza together, demolishing it in record time and somehow finishing the rest of the popcorn together before the movie ended.

  
Dylan lifts himself up from where he was cuddled next to Kenny and walks across the room to where a stereo is sitting. He pulls out an unknown CD from the pile by the stereo, placing it in and hitting play. _Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen_ fills the room and Dylan walks back over to his boyfriend.

  
“May I have this dance?” He asks with his hand outstretched to the other boy.

  
Kenny can’t speak, he just nods enthusiastically and takes his boyfriend’s hand. Dylan pulls him up from the sofa and into his arms, swaying along to the music as he holds Kenny in his arms.

  
‘ _I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things,_ ’ Freddie Mercury sings to them as they dance together, ‘ _We can do the tango just for two._ ’

  
Dylan leans down to Kenny’s ear, “I’m sorry we couldn’t go to the dance.”

  
‘ _I can serenade and gently play on your heartstrings,_ ’

  
“It’s okay, I don’t mind. This is better than any school dance anyway,” Kenny grins at him.

  
‘ _Be your Valentino just for you._ ’

  
Dylan catches the other boys lips in a small, sweet kiss. They part but linger there only a few inches apart for a few moments as they let the song and the moment overtake them. Feeling their newfound love seep into their bones and their hearts. They lean in for another chaste kiss and then Kenny leans his head against the other boy's shoulder, closing his eyes and wishing he live in this moment for the rest of his life.

  
_‘Ooh love ooh loverboy,_   
_What're you doin' tonight, hey boy,_   
_Set my alarm, turn on my charm,_   
_That's because I'm a good old-fashioned lover boy.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally the last chapter is here! 
> 
> i had so much fun writing this fic and everyones just lovely comments were just amazing. i dont think ive ever gotten so many ppl commenting on a fic of mine before! and for it to be for such a small/dead fandom was great.
> 
> as ive said before i might write more dylan/kenny fics since they SORELY need more but idk when that will be.
> 
> thank you to everyone who enjoyed this fic! see u guys next time <3

**Author's Note:**

> like i said in the tags i aint watched the show bc honestly what ive seen of it it really doesnt look like my kind of humour lol buuuuuut kenny is so god damn cute and i wanted to see more of him and dylan so here ya go
> 
> follow me on tumblr [@walkerm0nroe](https://walkerm0nroe.tumblr.com) if you so wish <3


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